Vargas, a high-profile offseason signee from Costa Rica, struggled to adapt to the league and
was eventually sidelined by a foot injury in early May. When he returned, Vargas was unable to
crack a lineup that featured new signees Jairo Arrieta and Federico Higuain. He made 11 appearances
including seven starts but recorded just one goal. He had a base salary of $170,000, tied for
fifth-highest on the team.

Last week, a source close to Vargas told me he was planning to return to the Crew next season.
Following the team’s final day of training last Thursday, I spoke with Vargas through assistant
coach and translator Ricardo Iribarren about his season and his future with the club.

“I got hurt and when I was ready to come back, (Higuain) and Jairo came in and obviously they
had a great season,” he said. “It was tough for me to get minutes, but I was happy because the team
was winning.

“My situation was tough and it was tough to get back into the lineup but the important thing was
I recovered completely from the injury. I was 100 percent and available for selection but obviously
it was a coaching decision who was going to play. For me, there’s nothing to say because the guys
who were playing were doing a good job. I learned from that, too.”

When I asked Iribarren to ask Vargas if he was hoping to be back next season, however, Iribarren
answered in the affirmative without posing the question to Vargas.

Last week, Grossman intimated that he already knew he would not be returning for next season.
In this blog
post, Grossman said he did not understand why he had been taken out of the lineup after a
strong midseason stretch.

Asked what the coaches told him he needed to improve upon to reclaim a starting spot, Grossman
said, “They never told me anything. I never heard a word. I came out after the Houston game because
he said I needed to be rested, which is fine, but I didn’t hear from him again until our meeting at
the end of the season yesterday.”

“But that’s how it works a lot of times. I don’t think that’s necessarily abnormal. What they
want in players, what they expect out of players, what they are looking to do next year, to be
honest with you I have no idea. I wish I could comment on that, but I can’t.”

Grossman, a second-round draft pick in the 2011 SuperDraft, made 12 appearances including five
starts and scored one goal. His base salary was listed at $44,100.

During the season, head coach Robert Warzycha told me that Josh Williams earned the spot at left
back over the left-footed Vukovic because of “responsibility.” Vukovic said he did not understand
why he lost the spot.

Asked where the coaches told him they needed to see improvement, Vukovic said, “I have no clue.
I talked to him, but I don’t agree with him. I think of the games I played, and I think I played
good and I did some good stuff for the Crew. I had three assists and many good things, I think. I
talked with him and he said I must do this and this. I tried, but when I do it how he wants it’s
not good because I do it like before. Every time is different. I don’t know.”

In 15 games including 12 starts, Vukovic recorded three assists. He was also slowed by an ankle
injury that sidelined him for more than a month. Signed in the preseason, Vukovic had a base salary
of $108,000.

Today’s waiver deadline was essentially for teams who had already decided certain players were
not part of their 2013 plans. There will likely be another flood of players released in early
December.

MLS will release the order for the waiver draft later this afternoon. There will be another
waiver draft sometime in December that will include players from the two teams – Houston and Los
Angeles – playing in MLS Cup on December 1.

A one-day trade window will open Dec. 6 in advance of the two stages of the MLS re-entry draft,
which will take place on as-yet undetermined dates in December. The 2013 transfer window opens
January 2, and the SuperDraft will take place Jan. 17. The Crew hold the ninth overall
selection.